Prevalence of sexual violence
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The main source of data on the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland is the Sexual Violence Survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office in 2022 and published in 2023.
Apart from the main overview, the CSO also published more specific data in five separate releases, on Adult Experiences, Childhood Experiences, Disclosure of Sexual Violence Experiences, Sexual Harassment, and Attitudes to Sexual Violence.
The CSO defines sexual violence as “a range of non-consensual experiences, from non-contact experiences to non-consensual sexual intercourse… Sexual violence is any sexual act which takes place without freely given consent or where someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity.”
Please remember that free, confidential and non-judgmental support is there 24/7 for anyone affected by sexual violence, including family and friends of victims and survivors, on the National Helpline at 1800 778888.
Overall prevalence of sexual violence experiences in Ireland
| Childhood experience of sexual violence – Female | 36% |
| Childhood experience of sexual violence – Male | 22% |
| Childhood experience of sexual violence – overall | 29% |
| Adult experiences of sexual violence – Female | 39% |
| Adult experiences of sexual violence – Male | 12% |
| Overall Adult experiences of sexual violence | 26% |
| Lifetime experience of sexual violence - Female | 52% |
| Lifetime experience of sexual violence - Male | 28% |
| Lifetime experience of sexual violence -Overall | 40% |
Adult experiences of sexual violence
21% of women and 13% of men said that they had experienced non-consensual sexual intercourse as an adult.
46% of bisexual people said that they had experienced non-consensual sexual intercourse as an adult.
(Source: CSO Sexual Violence Survey)
Types of sexual violence experienced by respondents in adulthood
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
| Form of Sexual Violence | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse | 13% | 5% | 21% |
| Attempted Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse | 15% | 7% | 23% |
| Physical Sexual Assault | 30% | 17% | 43% |
Forms of sexual harassment experienced by respondents in the last 12 months
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
| Form of sexual harassment | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking with fear of sexual violence | 3% | 1% | 4% |
| Remarks of a sexual nature | 12% | 6% | 17% |
| Physical exposure | 4% | 1% | 6% |
| Inappropriate physical contact | 9% | 4% | 15% |
| Inappropriate sexual advances | 7% | 2% | 12% |
| Remarks of a sexual nature online | 9% | 4% | 14% |
| Exposure to sexually explicit images | 5% | 3% | 7% |
| Sexual images or videos shared without permission | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Any other sexually inappropriate behaviour | 7% | 3% | 11% |
LGBTQ+ experiences of sexual violence
- 46% of bisexual people said that they had experienced sexual violence in their adulthood, with 24% saying this took place with a partner
- 21% of people who are asexual, questioning or unsure of their sexuality had experienced sexual violence in their adulthood, with 12% stating this took place with a partner
- 14% of gay or lesbian people stated that they had experienced sexual violence in their adulthood, with 6% stating this had taken place with a partner
- 12% of heterosexual people stated that they had experienced sexual violence in their adulthood, with 7% stating this had taken place with a partner.
(Sources: CSO SVS survey tbl49, CSO SVS survey tbl84)
Childhood Experiences of Sexual Violence
Percentage of respondents who experienced "Contact Sexual Violence" as a child, by form
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
| Form of contact sexual violence | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual Intercourse | 4% | 2% | 7% |
| Attempted Sexual Intercourse | 5% | 3% | 8% |
| Sexual Touching | 17% | 11% | 24% |
| Other sexual contact | 10% | 5% | 15% |
Percentage of respondents who experienced "Non-Contact Sexual Violence" as a child, by form
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
| Form of sexual violence | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shown pornographic material | 9% | 10% | 7% |
| Made to undress and pose for photos | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| Physical exposure by someone | 13% | 6% | 20% |
| Someone masturbated in front of them | 8% | 6% | 10% |
Percentage of respondents who experienced sexual violence as a child, by sexual orientation
(Source: CSO SVS 2023)
| Sexual orientation | Percentage of Respondants |
|---|---|
| Bisexual | 49% |
| Gay/lesbian | 31% |
| Other including asexual/questioning/unsure | 25% |
| Heterosexual | 20% |
DRCC Data 2022
DRCC collects anonymised data related to our service users.
(Source: DRCC Annual Report 2022 pg 18)
 | Almost four in ten clients (38.4%) reported being raped as an adult. Some 6.93% cited marital or intimate partner rape, 13.4% sexual assault, and 2.26% sexual harassment as adults. 37.8% of clients experienced sexual abuse as a child. About one in 15 clients (6.5%) had experienced sexual violence as both a child and an adult. |
